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Rubber Particles in Natural Latex After Freezing

Natural latex consists of a suspension of rubber particles of approximately 0.1 - 1.0um in diameter, suspended in a buffered aqueous medium. One method for the manufacture of rubber - the Talalay process - includes a stage in which the latex is cooled to a temperature of -30^OC. As a result of the crystallization of water, the rubber particles are forced into a boundary around the ice, where partial coalescence occurs. Low temperature techniques such as LTSEM are ideal for monitoring this process.